Cranberry, Chocolate, and Walnut Oatmeal Cookies (vegan, GF)

Baking definitely involves quite a bit of experimenting and chemistry.  When creating new recipes, I can often post my savory dishes after one try, but with baking, it takes me at least a couple before it’s a dessert that I want to eat over and over again (and thus share online). Although let’s be honest- I tend to demolish my “fails” pretty quickly too. 🙂 So as per usual, this was my 2nd take on this cookie, but I’m so glad I found the right scientific combo because this may be my new favorite go-to cookie!

These are kind of like trail mix on crack- all the deliciousness of Gorp rolled into a delectable cookie. (Side note: Is my family the only one to call trail mix “Gorp”? Or is this a Seattle thing or a Girl Scout thing? 2nd side note: I didn’t know until my adult life that it stood for “good old raisins and peanuts”. So maybe this isn’t Gorp…) Anyway- I was also very excited to make a vegan/gluten-free/soy-free cookie that tastes so delicious and “normal”- the texture is just like my favorite childhood oatmeal cookies- chewy and sweet with the added crunchiness of the CCW (my replacement for Gorp here).

As you will see in the recipe directions, I highly encourage eating the dough as you go along. There are no eggs, so those of you who are typically cookie-dough-phobic, here is your chance! I based the number of cookies made (30) on my first batch (in which I shockingly abstained from eating the dough) and also this time based on subtracting the spoonfuls I ate during the process. 😉 You could definitely substitute other dried fruit and nuts here if you have certain preferences or ones on hand. Also feel free to make these cookies larger, I just make them small so I feel slightly less guilty when I eat 3 at a time. Also easier to share this way! That’s all for now…Enjoy your new science experiment!

Ingredients (makes 30 small cookies):

• 3/4 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
• 1 cup oats (gluten-free)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup vegan butter, softened (I used Earth Balance soy-free butter stick)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp flax seed meal + 3 tbsp water, combined
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (vegan)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together dry ingredients (flour through salt) in a small bowl.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat softened butter and sugar together in a large bowl, until creamy.
4. Add vanilla and flax/water to mixture and beat well.
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients, mixing well and scraping down sides as needed.
6. Add in the walnuts, chocolate, and cranberries. Stir in with wooden spoon.
7. Eat some dough! There are no eggs- so completely safe and YUMMY.
8. Roll small (1 inch) balls of dough and place 12 on a lined or buttered cookie sheet. (Tip: dough is sticky, so may help to have a small bowl of water to dip fingers in before rolling.)
9. Press down on each cookie dough ball slightly, to make thick pancake shape.
10. Bake for about 10 minutes or until edges just barely start turning golden brown.
11. Let sit for 1-2 minutes then use spatula and carefully transfer to wire rack to dry.
12. Enjoy warm or cooled!